# Are names without alphanumeric characters allowed? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 30, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579 "2013-08-30T15:18:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/1 "2013-08-30T15:18:14Z")
Just now I opened a thread on Segway tours and quickly found that the SDMB has a new poster. Said poster’s name consists of four dots or periods. [See here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16620176&postcount=10). I’m not sure it’s actually against the rules, but I thought I’d ask: Should the SDMB allow people to have usernames that do not contain any alphanumeric characters? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/2 "2013-08-30T16:54:10Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Should the SDMB allow people to have usernames that do not contain any alphanumeric characters? Why the #$%@ not? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/3 "2013-08-30T17:20:22Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I’m not sure it’s actually against the rules, but I thought I’d ask: Should the SDMB allow people to have usernames that do not contain any alphanumeric characters? If not, said poster could change to **The Poster Formerly Known As . . . .** ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/4 "2013-08-30T17:25:40Z")
I don’t think _any_ non-alphanumeric characters should be allowed. **SnowboarderBo** and **BiffytheElephantShrew** should be required to fix their usernames. ETA: Actually, their names are too long also. A maximum of eight characters should be plenty. **Snowboar** and **Biffythe** would be much better. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/5 "2013-08-30T17:35:41Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > **Biffythe** would be much better. “Rhymes with _blythe_, don’t you know.” ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2013, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/6 "2013-08-30T22:09:23Z")
Why not? ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/7 "2013-08-31T00:21:23Z")
Because. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/8 "2013-08-31T01:29:11Z")
Kinda tricky to search for, I would imagine. For some reason, I can’t test this theory. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/9 "2013-08-31T01:53:56Z")
They could use Morse code to secretly spell out forbidden words. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/10 "2013-08-31T01:56:19Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Kinda tricky to search for, I would imagine. For some reason, I can’t test this theory. The Search button is located at the top b… DAMN YOU FEYNMANN! ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/11 "2013-08-31T02:43:33Z")
I want to change my user name to **ლ(ಠ益ಠლ)** (Assuming that **Rachellelogram** doesn’t already have dibs on it, of course.) ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/12 "2013-08-31T03:06:36Z")
I’m changing my handle to 🌇 🌈 🌉 🌊 🌋 🌌. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/13 "2013-08-31T05:15:41Z")
I just want to change it to characters that look like keyboard characters but actually aren’t (non-breaking spaces, em dashes etc.), so when people try to search for me, they can’t find anything. ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/14 "2013-08-31T06:22:04Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > I just want to change it to characters that look like keyboard characters but actually aren’t (non-breaking spaces, em dashes etc.), so when people try to search for me, they can’t find anything. If you are going to do this, you might want to change your username to **A Figment of My Imagination** while you are at it. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/15 "2013-08-31T08:49:28Z")
I want to change mine to [ASCII 07](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_character) ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/16 "2013-08-31T08:54:31Z")
My name will be \r^H^HNUL. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/17 "2013-08-31T10:07:34Z")
Can I change mine to “[Robert’); DROP TABLE Students;–](http://xkcd.com/327/)”? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/18 "2013-08-31T12:17:27Z")
I actually have thought about changing my name to **Little Bobby Tables** , but that sort of ruins the fun of it. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/19 "2013-08-31T12:29:18Z")
My name is … but you can call me . ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/20 "2013-09-03T02:24:50Z")
As I posted in another thread… …we can use non-ASCII Unicode characters like ū in our usernames now? Cool! 'Cause I’m totally going to change my username to something like “Þór 菜. McЖеня”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579.md?page=2)